Man Tied To Senior Living Shooting Competent To Stand Trial: Report

BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE, MD — Maurquise James, a White Marsh man arrested in the Feb. 14 shooting death at a senior living facility, was ruled competent to stand trial on Thursday, according to Fox 5.

The ruling came down Thursday in response to a competency evaluation that was requested last week by officials. A preliminary hearing is next scheduled for March 27.

James is being held without bond on a first-degree murder charge for the death of 87-year-old Robert Fuller Jr., who was pronounced dead at the Cogir Potomac Senior Living facility from a gunshot wound to the head.

Fuller, a native of Maine who moved to Montgomery County with his wife and remained in the region after her death, was widely known for his philanthropic work. The senior home's millionaire resident had donated to projects including the construction of a women's veteran shelter and a hospital, among other initiatives.

James worked as a medicine technician at the senior home since October. Early in the investigation, James admitted to coming in contact with Fuller, saying he had gotten along well with the resident.

The evaluation comes days after the prosecution stated at a bond hearing that James had planned the shooting for more than a month.

Related:

• Fatal Cogir Senior Living Shooting Was 'Planned': Report
• New Video Captures Person Sought In Fatal Senior Facility Shooting

At the time, Jodie Mount, an assistant state’s attorney for the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, described the shooting as a "pre-planned, cold-blooded killing" that took place when Fuller was in his bed.

No motive has been detailed by investigators.

James became a person of interest in the case due to a variety of factors, including:

• Clothing he wore matched those seen in surveillance footage released by the Montgomery County Police Department.
• Suspicious behavior flagged by Cogir employees who questioned why James was at the facility past the end of his shift.
• A side door at the facility that was frequently used by James had its alarm sensor tampered with. James was the final person to use the door before it stopped working.

But the most prominent factor connecting James to the fatal shooting was bullet casings that matched those found at the scene of a shooting in Baltimore City.

Related:

• Trooper Shot During Traffic Stop In Baltimore
• MD Man Arrested After Shooting Toward Trooper: Police

On the same day that police announced an arrest in the Fuller shooting, Maryland State Police also revealed that investigators had arrested James for shooting at a Maryland State Police trooper during an attempted traffic stop.

Investigators reported that James had been driving a 2009 Infiniti with no tags or headlights on. When the trooper approached the car, James fired two rounds in close proximity before fleeing the scene.

The trooper, who did not return fire, was later treated for injuries and released from the hospital.

In the Baltimore City shooting, James is facing multiple charges, including attempted first-degree murder and assault.

Officials have said the Montgomery County case will be tried first because of its severity.

Read more at Fox 5.